[YYZ2112]

I was on his site last night checking them out. I'm still on the fence on what I think at this point. I think there are four clips and one full song, which I believe will be the single.
The last clip I heard definitely peaked my interest the most. It had a Crystal Planet type sound to it. The rest seemed like the same old Satch thing that he's been doing on the last couple albums. I knows it's too early to come to any conclusions, but I just hope this album does more for me than Is There Love In Space.

[Drew]

I've heard two clips from the podcast, still haven't heard the full song on his site. Off to give it a look.

Thoughts On Things That Have Absolutely Nothing To Do With The Quality Of The Music, But Yet Still May Be Pertinent:

1.) The cover flat-out sucks. Someone over at www.satrianiforums.com was saying that it was actually done by a fairly well know designer. I see no reason to disagree with him, per se, but I still hold that it took him no more than 15 minutes in photoshop. Not that there's a direct correlation, but in general as his covers/liner notes have gotten worse, the quality of music has suffered (compare Crystal Planet, simple yet elegant, to Strange Beautiful Music, which revisits the same motif in a skater vein, and was probably his weakest to date, IMO).

2.) However, this is somewhat offset by the fact that his song titles are marginally better this time out. Granted, Satch isnt known for inspiring names for his instrumental compositions, but compare "Surfing With the Alien" or "Flying in a Blue Dream" with "New Last Jam" or "Seven String." The former are at least images unto themselves (and ones that work well with the music, for that matter) while the later basically sound like working titles they were ID'ing songs by during the recording phase. I do the same thing when I'm working too - actually, I'm even worse, I've got seperate folders set up for the stuff I'm working on, with stuff like "Song 1," "Song 2," "Acoustic Song," "Stretchy," etc. But, I mean, I don't CALL them that.

Anyway, while hardly brilliant, there's at least a little more thought evident in most of his stuff here.

Now, off to listen to this single so I can stop talking out of my ass.

[Drew]

You know, listening to the clips for this album again (can't listen to the whole song for Super Collossal because no Quicktime on my work computer), when I do finally finish this CD of mine, I think I'll owe Satch a thank-you note. Two reasons, first of course being the years of inspiration, but also because of late he's REALLY lowered the bar with his melodies. You listen to something like "Always With Me, Always With You," and I just can't imagine changing a note. "Redshift Riders," meanwhile, while still pretty damned cool, is pretty lick-based. It's a cool song and all, it's just it seems so much more attainable, compositionally speaking, than Satch at his best - basically it's just a slightly exotic scale played with bluesy phrasing.

And it kills me to be saying this because I make no secret of the fact that Joe's the reason I'm not an Albert King clone today who still plays a bit of grunge on the side.

[YYZ2112]

Redshift Riders was the track that I liked the most, but I know what you mean, Drew. He just hasn't had a track lately that has had that lasting melody. Maybe he's just tapped out of original ideas or his best stuff is behind him now.
I'll always respect his playing and will always consider him a huge influence. I just happen to like his older stuff better. I think The Extremist and Crystal Planet would be very hard to ever top anyway.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by Drew

1.) The cover flat-out sucks. Someone over at www.satrianiforums.com was saying that it was actually done by a fairly well know designer. I see no reason to disagree with him, per se, but I still hold that it took him no more than 15 minutes in photoshop.

My wife and I were just joking about that. What a shitty album cover. We made a similiar pic of her in about 15 seconds in Photoshop. Filters, gotta love them.

I'm not ripping guys like Satch or Petrucci per se, but it's hard to see the heroes I had as a teenager turn into middle-aged losers putting out a fart in the wind and calling it an album. That's what I honestly think of the last three satch albums since Crystal Planet, and I can't say Petrucci or Vai has wowed me in any way in the last 5 years. These guys were legendary just 7 or 8 years ago, constantly putting out disc after disc of well-thought-out music with interesting album covers. Now? I mean seriously, WTF?!

[Shawn]

Crystal Planet is definately his best but I still liked Engines Of Creation too and the last 2 albums we're okay. I heard a small clip of his new stuff and I think it might be worth checking out for me.

[Allen Garrow]

Have any of you check out the podcast videos? Not real exciting,,,but cool given the choices of "podcast". I've heard some of the tracks,,, and I really like Joe,,,but the last few albums have sort of lacked that energy that some of the old ones had. Great example Engines of creation,,,that album had a vibe. Strange beautiful music has some cool shit,,,mindstorm rocks.

~A

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by Allen Garrow

Strange beautiful music has some cool shit,,,mindstorm rocks.

~A

my favorite 7-string song by him.

[Tubbs Mcgee]

Satriani is coming out with a new album?!?



Man, where have I been when this news came out...

[BCrowell]

I gotta agree about being on the fence. It just seems he's TOO busy lately and isn't taking the time to really ask himself, "Is this song really good" before putting an album together. Maybe his contract is forcing him to, I don't know. Honestly how can we know his reasons, and I certainly don't want to judge the master, without knowing the whole story.

Yes, that cover blows...most of us could do better!